The present invention relates to feeding blister packs to an automatic packaging machine.
More precisely, the invention relates to a method for transferring blister packs from the cutting station of a so-called blistering machine to a feeding line of a packaging line, as well as to a device which carries out this method.
As it is known, blister packs are obtained by cutting a band, which has a plurality of blisters, suitably arranged, filled with respective products.
At each step of the blister band forward movement in the cutting station of the blistering machine, a series or a group of blister packs are usually obtained from the blister band, which blister pack are aligned along a direction crosswise to the band longitudinal axis.
Then, the group of blister packs must be transferred to the feeding line of the packaging machine, which introduces the blister packs in suitable boxes or cases.
The transferring of the groups of blister packs from the cutting station to the feeding line of the packaging machine is the critical step in the production of this type of packages.
According to a known technical solution, the blister packs of each group are transferred from the cutting station to corresponding receiving lines, arranged side by side, without changing the orientation of the blister packs; first, the blister packs of one line are shifted with respect to the blister packs of the adjacent line, and subsequently, the blister packs are arranged on one single line, one after another.
According to another technical solution, the blister packs of each group are placed onto the receiving lines after having been shifted and turned over, i.e. with the blisters turned upwards.
In both above described cases, the blister packs are moved perpendicularly to the direction of their longer extension, i.e. longitudinal direction, along which e.g. three or more blisters with relative products are arranged.
This arrangement is not the most convenient, if a corresponding print is required on each portion of the blister pack containing a relative product: in this case, it is necessary to provide as many stamping heads (e.g. ink-jet type and the like) as there are rows of blisters arranged perpendicularly.
It is obvious to those skilled in the art that there operation difficulties are encountered if the blister packs are overturned, i.e. with the blisters turned upwards.
According to other known technical solutions, the blister packs are situated on one conveyor belt, with the longitudinal axes of the blister packs being oriented in alignment with the movement direction of the belt.
In this situation, the mutual positioning between blister packs of each group is identical to the one defined in the cutting station and no in-step pulling devices (lugs) can be provided in the conveyor belt for maintaining positive control of the position of each single blister pack being transferred, in order to e.g. reject possible defective blister packs.
Another problem derives from the change of blister packs size, which usually requires complicated and expensive changeover operation on the lines.
It is an object of the present invention is to propose a method, which allows automatic transfer of blister packs in series from a cutting station to the feeding line of a packaging machine, maintaining the arrangement in a row and the positive control of the blister packs being transferred.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a method which allows the single blister packs to be arranged suitably in a row and spaced apart during the transferring, so as to allow an easy performing of intermediate ope4ration steps, such as printing on the blister packs, using one or at most two printing heads.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to propose a device which allows the above mentioned method to be carried out by a constructively simple and functional structure, which is versatile in relation to the type of blister packs to be transferred.
Still a further object of the present invention is to propose a device which realizes what above without turning over the blister packs.
The above mentioned objects are obtained in accordance with the content of the claims by means of a method for transferring blister packs and the like from a cutting station to the feeding line of a packaging machine, including the following steps:
picking up a series of blister packs arranged in a line at a cutting station;
arranging said series of blister packs in alignment with receiving and moving means disposed adjacent to said cutting station;
simultaneous releasing of said series of blister packs onto support elements, carried by selective releasing means and disposed above said receiving and moving means;
selectively operating said support elements of said selective releasing means, so as to release, one by one and in succession, said blister packs aligned and regularly spaced apart, onto said receiving and moving means.
In a modified embodiment of the invention, the method includes the following steps:
picking up a series of blister packs arranged in a line at a cutting station;
arranging said series of blister packs in alignment with receiving and moving means disposed adjacent to said cutting station;
simultaneous releasing of said series of blister packs so as to place a first blister pack, situated in a foremost position according to said forward movement direction of said receiving and moving means, onto said receiving and moving means and place further blister packs of said series of blister packs onto support elements, carried by selective releasing means and situated above said receiving and moving means;
release, one by one and in succession, said further blister packs aligned and regularly spaced apart, onto said receiving and moving means.
According to the invention, a device for carrying out the method described herein includes:
receiving and moving means, situated adjacent to the cutting station for cutting the blister packs;
pick-up means for picking-up a series of aligned blister packs, situated at said cutting station, and for arranging said series of blister packs in alignment with said receiving and moving means;
selective blister packs releasing means situated above said receiving and moving means and equipped with support elements for receiving said blister packs picked-up and released by said pick-up means and for selectively releasing said blister packs, in alignment and regularly spaced apart, onto said receiving and moving means.